David Reser was test-flying his Thatcher CX-4 homebuilt last week in Southern California when the propeller departed the airplane. Fearing that he would end up in somebody’s back yard, Reser dove for the runway at Cable (KCCB) with a bit too much energy and no drag benefit from a windmilling prop. Floating past the end of the runway, Reser attempted to ground loop before finally running out of airspeed and contacting an earthen berm. He walked away from the homebuilt with minor injuries. A television news helicopter happened to be nearby and caught the landing for posterity. Reser describes the last few moments of his flight in the video below.
Homebuilt Loses Prop, Pilot Keeps Cool
Key Takeaways:
- During a test flight, David Reser's Thatcher CX-4 homebuilt aircraft lost its propeller, forcing him to attempt an emergency landing.
- Reser overshot the runway at Cable (KCCB) and, after an attempted ground loop, contacted an earthen berm.
- Despite the dramatic incident, Reser sustained only minor injuries and walked away from the damaged aircraft.
- The entire emergency landing was captured on video by a nearby television news helicopter.
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